Campus by the Sea
Campus by the Sea (CBS) is a Christian camp operated by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and is located on Santa Catalina Island, California. The camp was founded in 1951 by Mel Friesen and can now host 250 people. CBS offers the chance for people to take a break from their regular lives so they can study the Bible, rest and play. The camp offers a number of recreational activities, including swimming, fishing, table tennis, volleyball, hiking, kayaking, basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and has a play yard for children.
CBS hosts groups of InterVarsity college students from various campuses in Southern California during the year, primarily in fall and spring through early summer ("Fall Conference" and "Chapter Camp", respectively). Additionally, CBS hosts Long Beach Marine Institute ("LBMI") and Catalina Island Marine Institute ("CIMI"), both outdoor education institutes, during the spring and fall. During the summers, CBS hosts family camps, facilitated by Paul and Virginia Friessen.
CBS is often noted as the birthplace of "Mark Study", an in-depth inductive study of the Gospel of Mark. The originator of the inductive method (and co-founder of CBS) is Paul Byer. Byer was a graduate of the University of Southern California and served on staff with InterVarsity there for many years. His original Mark manuscripts (along with teaching notes and other documents) can now be found on display in the library of CBS' brand-new building, named the "Crow's Nest", which opened in late summer, 2006.